Our Team

The combination of extensive professional expertise with profound understanding of the Bulgarian and South-Eastern European markets provides extra value to our clients. The backbone of our success lies in the exceptional team of consultants with keen business acumen, international experience and ultimate integrity.

Evgeni Kanev, Ph.D., Managing Partner

• Over 2 decades of financial advisory experience
• Over 250 M&A, valuation and financing mandates in South Eastern Europe and Ireland
• Head of KPMG Corporate Finance, Bulgaria
• KPMG CEE Support Services & Infrastructure Team Leader
• PriceWaterhouse Audit Group
• MBA, Illinois State University, USA, concentration in Corporate Finance
• Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance, ACCA, UK
• Certified appraiser of commercial enterprises and financial institutions
• Specialisations in M&A and transaction support at KPMG training centres in London, Brussels, Hamburg
• PPP financing specialisation at KPMG Ireland

Andrzej Schafernaker, Partner

• Over 27 years of international experience in private sector development, including company restructuring and business performance improvement
• Advisory to government institutions and private companies
• Extensive experience in manufacturing and service industries in South-East Europe and Central Asia
• Advice on restructuring and industrial development of Polish enterprises (shipyards)
• Advice to the Lithuanian State Property Fund on privatisation of state-owned enterprises
• Leading role in a 30M USD Enterprise Development and SME Competitiveness Project- Directing over 100 staff in managing Central-Asia-wide network of regional advisors in 5 countries in delivering strategic business management and internationalisation support services to over 400 SMEs in various industries (Central Asia)
• Mid-Term Performance Evaluation of a 15M USD USAID Business Enabling Project (Serbia)
• MBA, Cranfield School of Management, England
• IMP³rove innovation process management innovation tool trained

• Over 20 years of experience in financial and commercial due diligence, business restructuring and risk analysis
• Executive Director SOpharmacy, Sopharma Trading
• Procurator and BoD member, Merck Group  
• Associate Director, Transaction Services, KPMG
• MBA, University of National and World Economy, Bulgaria
• ACCA Fellow, Accounting and Finance
• BBA, University of Lincolnshire & Humberside, UK
• Licensed business appraiser

Svetlina Pencheva-Zhelyazkova, Manager

• Over 7 years of financial advisory experience
• Over 50 M&A, valuation and financing mandates in the healthcare, cosmetics, ICT, hi-tech, construction, agriculture, banking and insurance sector
• Asset Quality Review of Bulgarian banks
• Accounts receivable specialist, Ingram Micro
• Finance Associate, Balkanstroy Ltd.
• Certified appraiser of commercial enterprises 
• Certified appraiser of intellectual property
• CFA Level I passed, CFA Institute, USA
• Master’s degree in Financial Management, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Master’s degree in Financial Management – exchange programme, Ghent University, Belgium
• Bachelor’s degree in International Economic Relations, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria

Denitsa Ivanova, Manager

• Over 10 years of professional and international experience
• Over 25 M&A, valuation and financing mandates in the IT, ICT, pharma, agriculture, virtual reality and confectionery sector
• Commercial Еxpert, Risk Engineering Ltd.
• Sales Project Coordinator, DuPont, USA
• MBA, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, concentrations in Finance and Marketing, University of Richmond, USA